“Imagine caring for patients who have undergone 20, 30 or even 40 surgeries in a short time span,” says Vitalii Pavlieiev, MSF mental health supervisor. “These patients need support from nurses and psychologists. One patient was being prepared for a leg amputation, which the surgeons could not avoid. Our psychologists worked with him to help him accept the procedure. After the surgery, we shifted our focus to managing phantom pain.”
Sleep disorders, panic attacks and pain syndromes – particularly phantom pain following amputation – are common among MSF’s patients.
Volodymyr, 42, arrived at Cherkasy hospital with leg and arm injuries. One of his fingers had to be amputated. He was also experiencing severe anxiety, disturbed sleep, and nightmares. As a guitarist and sound engineer, the amputation of his finger affected him deeply.
“I used to express everything in my soul through my fingers, but now I can’t play,” says Volodymyr. “Psychologists are people I can tell everything to – they listen to my pain.”
Patients’ mindsets and the support they receive from family and friends all play a critical part in their successful recovery, according to MSF’s mental health team. As well as providing patients with one-to-one psychological support, the team also conduct group sessions and work with patients’ families.
Fonte original msf.org
